Fragments of a Romance: The Future
by AriandEzra
Summary: True love doesn't have a happy ending, or a sad, or even a bad ending. True love has no ending.  Summary on the inside! Co-written with sburke94
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is a co-written fic, written by both myself and sburke94! She will be writing from Ezra's POV and I will be writing from Aria's!**

**Summary: A series of inner monologues from Ezra and Aria. "Fragments of a Romance~The Future" are monologues coming from the new season and will be going episode by episode. We also have another series "Fragments of a Romance~The Beginning" for a few monologues from the first season.  
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**So to kick us off, here's Ezra from ...**

**"Episode 2x01: It's Alive"**

**~Forever~**

If I didn't believe in forever, we wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't be fighting for you like this. I wouldn't be opening myself up to you. Because I don't do that, remember? I don't put things that didn't work out on my resume-the resume that you are picking apart with tweezers right now.

_Ask me anything, and I will tell you the truth. _

So you ask and I answer. It's simple really-you're the one making this complicated. And I'm not sure what else to say. This fixation on Jackie-it was cute at first, you being jealous, and now it's just incredibly maddening. She's not Jackie my ex-fiancee, or Jackie my new coworker, or Jackie Molina, when I'm with you. She's Jackie Who?

But you don't see that, or won't-I'm not really sure which it is at the moment. You're bringing this upon yourself, these insecurities and doubts, yet I bear the guilt for them. I hate myself for giving you something else to deal with-your entanglement with cops, murder, and mayhem should be enough, right?

Apparently, it isn't though, because you ask me if I loved her when I met you. It's a risky question-you and I both know there's no answer that will be easy. But there's never any easy answers in life, is there? At least not when we're concerned. Then you whisper _I wish I'd known that, and for a brief second I think I've got you back._

You wish you'd known, but it's not an unforgivable offense. You can move past it. _We can move past that's all I want. I want to move past this fixation and just be _us again.__

Us. Me and You. You and Me. Aria and Ezra. Ezra and Aria.

Then you're pulling away and I feel us slipping. I won't let that happen. I _can't let that happen. So I open myself up anymore. I'm vulnerable now, but I've always been vulnerable where you're concerned._

_You know what I love about Saturdays? It's that feeling I get when I look up at you and I realize that we have the whole day together._

And I see there in your eyes-it's fleeting and all too brief-but it's there. You feel it too. That little feeling translates into hope. There's hope that you'll stay. Hope that we can move past this-whatever this is, because I'm honestly lost now._Hope that we can be us. _

One more final request. It's all I have, it's the only plea I can bring myself to make.

_So will you stay?_

You don't. You don't stay, and five minutes later I'm walking you to the door. I'm not sure which sucks more-the fact that I'm spending a Saturday without you, or the fact that I'm spending a Saturday without you because of my own damn foolishness.

Then you shake your head before you go. _No, I can't call you tomorrow. You'll see me on sucks too. Monday will be safe. Monday I can't be your boyfriend-am I even that anymore?_

At that moment I realize that the second of the two options sucks more. My damn foolishness is costing me more than one Saturday with you. It's costing me forever.


	2. Aria: Trust

**Here's Aria's monologue, written by yours truly :)**

**Episode 2x01: It's Alive. **

**~Trust~**

If I knew how to trust, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. I wouldn't have been hesitant to come over this Saturday morning. I wouldn't be dressed _this _formally. You know that on our Saturday mornings I come over in yoga pants and one of your Hollis tee shirts that I've stolen quite a few times.

But here I am, picking apart your resume with a pair of fine tweezers. Because I can't trust.

_Ask me anything, and I will tell you the truth._

You flop down onto your old leather couch, the couch that's always served as a place for our old movie marathons. Your hands are thrown up into the air for a moment as if to say, "I'm open." You're almost never open. You're always guarded.

I look to the futon that is about 5 feet away from the couch and consider sitting down there, but choose the smaller ottoman to rest on. I figure that the closer we are, the more open you'll be. I see a flicker of hope cross your eyes. I wish things could be the same, but they aren't.

_Why did she break it off?_

I know the question hurts. But if we are ever going to be able to repair what's been broken, I need to know. Your answer is swift. My heart leaps. I wouldn't do anything like that to you. No matter how angry or upset I am.

_Was I your rebound?_

_No. But you did help me to get over her._

A new question pops straight into my head. I know it's risky and part of me is vying to hear your answer and the other part wants to shrink up and run away before you can open your mouth. I know you won't let me get away that fast though.

_Were you still in love with her when you met me?_

A tense silence fills the dingy apartment air. I can feel my frustration and your regret radiating off each others bodies. I know the answer. You don't even have to say it. I know your answer.

_I wish I'd known that._

I can feel your hands lightly grasp my hands at my whisper. I didn't mean for you to hear it. I'm not altogether sure if there can still be an _us._ I want there to be one. Desperately. I still love you, but something's not right.

I know I'm strong, and I know that our relationship is strong, but my stubborn side is getting the best of me. If I could just learn to trust, we could move past this. I want us to be Aria and Ezra again.

You can feel me slip away and I feel the shrinking going on. But you won't let me run away and hide, you just open up your soul for me a little more. It's funny; I was always the one pouring out my heart, and you were always the guarded one. I guess our roles have switched.

_You know what I love about Saturdays? It's that feeling I get when I look up at you and I realize that we have the whole day together._

Saturdays. They were always our special day. Our day to just be together. A hint of a smile flashes across my face, remembering each Saturday we've spent since they day we met. I reply with a smile and tell you I know the feeling. Because honestly, I do.

_So, will you stay?_

Ezra, I want to stay. But I can't. Because if I stay, I'll give you the wrong illusion that everything can go back to the way it was. And it can't. The wounds are still fresh, and I don't know if I can give into this all at the moment. There's too much turmoil with the convictions from the cops and the murder mystery still being played out before my eyes.

So, we find ourselves outside your apartment door a few minutes later. I can see the disappointment in your face. And then there's a flash of regret and self hate. I want to reach up and brush it away, but I can't. I won't.

You ask to call me tomorrow, and the boyish smile I've come to love so much has come back.

_I'm spending the day with my family. _

The boyish smile is gone, and is now replaced with a blank expression that I can't quite place.

_You'll see me on Monday._

You're not happy with this. I can see that. On Monday, we can't be _together_. We have to be teacher and student. Thank God there's only a few days left of this charade and then maybe, just maybe, if I learn to trust, we can be us again.


	3. Ezra: Confusion

**Hello! Both sburke94 and I have been on vacation. She's still away, but I have her piece from 2x02. We decided to do a whole combination of all the scenes from the amazing kiss episode, so here's sburke94 with Ezra!**

**When she gets back and watched 2x03, we'll pick a scene and write!**

**Review!  
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><p><strong>Confusion—2x02<strong>

If I wasn't so confused right now, I'd have a perfect solution. A fix-all, end-all answer that would put you right back into my arms—right back to where you belong.

But as things stand currently, I don't. I'm confused and you're…hurt? Angry? Sad? I'm confused about that too. Your signals are so mixed. Normally, I can read you so well. With this however, I just can't—and it's killing me.

Funny, this job at Hollis was supposed to make things easier. It's only gotten harder. There used to be moments early on when I'd questioned if the difficulty of our relationship was worth it. It was. It is.

But now that I know I'll give anything for you, be anything for you, every bump in the road is that much more painful. And walking into that empty apartment was certainly painful. I can't blame you though.

You waited. You waited three hours and you did try. I've tried too, Aria. Will everything never be enough?

_Sorry we couldn't make this work. _

I'm sorry too. Sorry because I'm confused, sorry because I can't find the switch that'll flip us back to the way we were. But I'm not sorry we can't make things work—because we can fix this. We have to fix this.

I'm still confused when I give my farewell speech. Not so much about what I'm saying as to who I'm saying it to. Theoretically, and for all appearances, I'm addressing the class. In reality, I'm pouring my heart out to you.

Is this my last ditch effort? I hope not, because it's fairly obvious that you're not listening. So I move closer with each line I speak, hoping against hope that proximity will help.

_I didn't expect to connect the way I have. I didn't expect to feel this loss. _

Your head tilts towards me the merest fraction of an inch and I think maybe, just for a fleeting second, I've gotten your attention. You're picking up on the underlying message in those last two sentences, aren't you?

_I'm losing the connection with you._

This feeling right now, it's like I'm dangling off the edge of a proverbial cliff—it's do or die—it's forever or nothing.

_You must give up the life you had planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you. _

I suppose that quote would be more applicable if I knew for a fact you would indeed be waiting for me after I pack up my desk and wipe the chalkboard down for the last time. But you're not even waiting a few minutes past the bell. It rings and you're the first one out the door. Perhaps we really can't make this work—at least not when one of us has already given up.

You've quit, I can see it in the deep color of your eyes. And in a moment of clarity, I realize that I'm quitting just a little bit too. Then the confusion sinks back in and I'm back to puzzling out what else can possibly be said to change your mind.

Later that afternoon as I pop open my trunk and lean down to put the last of my stuff into the car, I wonder if maybe there's nothing to be said. You apparently think otherwise as you come flying out the school doors and shot my name. _Ezra. _It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

Suddenly, the box is gone from my arms and you're in them. And I don't care how it happened, or why it happened, or that I'm currently experiencing the best kiss of my life in a high school parking lot. All that matters is that in this moment we are us again. Us without hurtful words. Us without a painful past. Us without confusion.

Us. Aria and Ezra. Ezra and Aria. You and Me. Me and You. Us.


	4. Aria: Stubborn

**And here I am with Aria's perspective on 2x02! Review please!  
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><p><strong>~Stubborn 2x02~<strong>

If I wasn't so stubborn, I would've been back in your arms days ago. Except, I'm only guarding myself from more heartache. Guarding my heart from breaking when you finally pack up that desk on Friday. I feel like I'm a whole mix of emotions; hurt, sad, angry.

You're usually so good at figuring out what's going on with me. I know I'm not the easiest person to read, but you know me.

I can tell its killing you, you know, not being able to figure me out. That's something we've always been able to share—the fact that we know each other so well.

I had anticipated this Hollis job to be coo for us. And maybe it could be down the road, but now not so much. It's only become an obstacle in repairing us.

You asked me to come over. And the Hollis meeting got in the way. You were fully aware of it. You asked me to stay, and I did. I tried. For 3 hours. 3 hours of waiting around your apartment, dog earring pages of various books, flipping through the who's who section of your _Phantom of the Opera_ playbill.

I can't help but question if this is even all worth it.

_Sorry we couldn't make this work. _

I wish we could've. Your goodbye speech is nothing short of emotion provoking. I can tell you're addressing me and not really the entire class. The class can sense something is going on as well. I can feel it. Thank God that they are much to absorbed in thoughts of what their new teacher will be like to really notice.

I still in my seat, with arms stubbornly crossed across my chest. I don't want to listen. I know that you're pouring your heart out to me, Ezra. But I don't want to listen, because I know if I do, I'll lose control. I'm afraid of that.

_I didn't expect to connect with you the way I have. I didn't expect to feel this loss._

You move closer, trying to gauge my attention and it works for only the briefest of moments. I cock my head to the side and make eye contact. You're eyes are pleading with me, begging me to take your words into consideration; that this is your only glimmer of hope.

_You must give up the life you had planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you. _

That has drawn the line for me. I feel like I'm tottering on the edge of a cliff. And I'm about to fall into the ocean which resembles the color of your eyes. I guess you can figure which way I'm leaning.

But I can't let you know that. I can't let go of my stubborn façade. The quote would mean so much more to us both, if we were completely sure I'd be waiting for you right after the chalkboard is erased and your mugs are taken off the desk. I'm not even waiting when the bell rings. I rush out of that room before I can catch your eyes, which I know are looking for me.

I spend a good 2 hours pouring out everything into my notebook. Listing the pros and cons of going back to you. Writing you letters and poems I'm never going to send. And finally, I've changed my mind. All trace of stubbornness is lost and as I run to find your empty classroom, I've lost hope. You're gone and I've lost my chance.

A ray on sunlight beams into the room, and I find you, packing up your car. Maybe this is fate's way of pushing us together. They always say there's light at the end of the tunnel.

I come charging out of the school doors, to see you putting the last of your boxes in your trunk. It's my last shot. You're name escapes my lips and you turn to gather me up in your arms. The boxes are forgotten, and so is the fact that we're in the high school's parking lot.

All that matters is that this kiss is real and we're us again. Just Aria and Ezra, the way it supposed to be.


End file.
